


Of All the Gin Joints in All the Towns in All the World, I Had to End up in Yours

by ghouliette



Category: One Tree Hill
Genre: Belly Kink, F/M, Feeding Kink, Fluff and Angst, Vore, Will be nsfw later, attempted vore, monster/human
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:52:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5356490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghouliette/pseuds/ghouliette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Julie is looking for a meal late at night in the first bar in Tree Hill she comes to.  Her typical taste consists of men, and tonight is no different, until she ends up pretty taken with someone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Cold October air nipped at Julie's nose. She adjusted her scarf on her neck and kept walking down the dark street, long legs making long strides. She wasn't exactly starving, but definitely was starting to get a little peckish. It was best, honestly, that she ate when she was just a bit hungry. She tended to make much less of a mess when she did it this way. Earlier in the evening, she'd decided it was probably a good idea to grab dinner at a bar. Somebody nice and drunk that wouldn't put up too much of a fight.  
Julie turned the doorknob, forcing the door to the pub open. It stuck a little bit, but she pressed a bit, and it came just fine. She looked briefly at her phone to check the time. 2:17. Damn, it was late. Pickings would be slim, probably literally as well as figuratively. Ah, well. It was just one meal, anyway. Once she was in and had the door closed, she took a look around. A skinny, bespectacled blonde sat at one booth, typing away at a laptop with a bowl of pretzels and what looked like a glass of water. She looked to her left, and there sat an old man, nearly asleep in his seat. Ugh, no, too old. The third person in the bar, she couldn't see well, but she was pretty sure it was a man with a big build. Julie Tchort walked closer, boots squeaking a little on the linoleum floor, and gracefully slipped onto the barstool next to the hunched figure.  
"What's good here?" She asked, smiling as sweetly as she could.  
"Uh..." He looked up and met her eyes. "Are you talking to me?"  
"No, I'm talking to that guy," she teased, pointing over to the old man, who was now definitely sleeping in his seat.  
"Oh, uh, well..." He thought for a moment.  
"That's okay," Julie said. Score. He was totally hammered. "Long island iced tea, please," she smiled at the bartender, before turning back to the man. She couldn't see much of him while he was all hunched over, and he had a big jacket on, but she could tell he wasn't particularly thin. He probably had a bit of a belly, if he drank a lot. "What's your name?" she asked. Surely he could answer that just fine.  
"Uh, it-it's Keith," he cleared his throat and scooted what was left of his drink away from him. Yeah, he probably didn't need any more.  
"Nice to meet you," Julie smiled, showing a little teeth this time. "My name's Julie."  
"I...I'm really drunk, I'm sorry," Keith managed, clearing his throat again.  
"That's okay," she said reassuringly. He seemed to be looking at her with interest, well, most men did. She almost had him. "I really don't mind."  
"Thanks," he nodded, and the bartender slid Julie's drink in front of her.  
"So, what do you do?" She asked, sipping at her drink. Ugh, it didn't taste much like iced tea.  
"I'm a mechanic," Keith answered. "Here in town."  
"That's cool," Julie nodded.  
"I guess. What do you do?"  
"I actually just moved here to...to Tree Hill? Right? Yeah. I'm planning to open a bakery as soon as I can. I'm a pastry chef."  
"That...that is really cool," he sat up a little bit straighter, looking at Julie a little more. Even drunk, she could tell he had that look that men gave her. With her bone-white skin, long, deep black hair and deep brown whirlpool eyes, and graceful litheness, she always interested men. And, she noted with pleasure, the occasional woman. It worked in her favor of survival.  
"Thank you for saying so," she said with a little smile. The second and third sips of her drink weren't as bad as the first. Julie was starting to enjoy the drink a little bit. She unzipped her black leather jacket and pulled it off, revealing the lace tank top and bare arms underneath. She saw Keith gulp a little bit as she did so, and she couldn't contain a little smirk. They were all so easy.  
"Could I have some coffee, please? If you still have any?" Keith asked the bartender, who was wiping down the counter.  
"Yeah, sure," he responded. "You done with this?" he pointed at the bottle of whiskey in front of him.  
"Yeah, thanks," He nodded, then turned back to Julie. "You remind me of this...this horror movie woman I'd watch as a kid. But...prettier, actually. Elsa? No, no, it was Elvira. Right."  
Julie couldn't help but grin for real. With her black hair and red lips, she really did kind of look like her, and the comparison was flattering.  
"Why, thank you. That's awfully sweet of you to say."  
"Yeah, of course," Keith blushed a little bit. "So...what brings you here tonight?" He sipped at the black coffee the bartender had brought over, clearly hoping to sober up.  
"Well..." Julie said with a bit of a drawl, "...I was really looking for somebody to take home with me tonight." She grinned suggestively and cocked an eyebrow. Even in the dim light, she could see the blush in his cheeks reddening deeper.  
"Is...that so?"  
"That is so," she smirked.  
"I...I see."  
"You wanna come home with me, Keith?"  
"Oh, I really do," he chuckled softly. "But Julie, I'm so drunk. I'm not sure if I...I think I'll just end up disappointing you."  
"What if I said there were no obligations on your end?" This was getting a little frustrating. Just agree already, dammit. "I just don't feel like being alone tonight. It's awfully cold, I'd really like someone to warm up my bed."  
Keith gulped again. "Well...okay," he agreed with a little nod.  
"Good," Julie said with a grin, then picked up her glass and finished downing it. She pulled a black leather wallet and slapped two twenty's down on the counter before pulling her jacket back on and zipping it up and wrapping her scarf back around her neck. It had been really warm inside the bar, but she knew that wasn't the case outside. "C'mon, then. I didn't drive, but I don't live far from here. Just a couple blocks. You don't mind a walk, do you? Night air might sober you up a little bit."  
"Of course, yeah," Keith nodded, clumsily sliding off the barstool. Julie slipped her arm into his, half to feel if he had any meat on his arm, half to make sure he stayed steady. His jacket was thick, and she really couldn't tell if he had much on him or not. Oh well.  
"So, may I ask, what brought you here tonight? I told you my reason," Julie said.  
"You'll think I'm even more pathetic than you probably already do if I told you," Keith chuckled bitterly.  
"Try me, I'm not judgemental. I was in there to get laid," she smiled, trying to put him at ease.  
"I...proposed to somebody," Keith said gruffly. Julie could tell there was sadness behind the roughness. "And she said no. I never imagined it turning out like that."  
Julie swallowed hard. Oh, this poor bastard. Oh geez. Well, at least she'd be putting him out of his misery tonight.  
"Well...geez, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry," Julie shook her head, squeezing his arm a little tighter as they made their way down the street. Her place was only a block away now. Thank goodness.  
"It's fine," Keith said, shaking his head. "Well...it isn't, but at least I know now, you know?"  
"Yeah, I understand," she nodded sympathetically. She was actually glad she had Keith to hold onto, he was big and warm, and it was so cold outside. She couldn't wait to get a good look at him in the light. She'd liked what she'd seen of him so far, he was a little plain, but nice-looking. Cute chin, pretty brown eyes, thick light brown hair, a little stubble around the jaw and chin. Very...American. Hopefully, he had a little of that American ampleness around his middle when she finally got that jacket off him.  
"Sorry you have someone so sad tonight," Keith licked his lips slightly. It did actually make Julie a little bit sad to see him so sad, despite the fact that she barely knew the guy. She actually kind of hated the idea of eating him tonight. Damn, she should at least make him a little happier first. Nobody deserved to die heartbroken. Maybe she'd cook him a nice dinner tonight. Sleeping with him was out of the question, no way was she giving her first time to prey.  
"Here we are," Julie murmured, snapping out of her thoughts as they reached her apartment complex.  
.Julie reached into her jacket pocket and fumbled for her keys, Keith sort of awkwardly leaned against the frame of the doorway as she fiddled with the lock. “Here we are…” She said, then grabbed his warm, calloused hand, pulling him in. She flipped on the living room light, and Keith blinked hard and rubbed his eyes. “Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” Julie said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”  
“Yeah, it was just dark in the bar, and then outside,” he chuckled, blinking. “It was weird, light all of a sudden. I’m fine though, sorry.”  
“No, you’re okay. May I take your jacket?” Julie asked, excited to see what his build and frame looked like without it.  
“Oh, sure, thank you,” Keith nodded, unzipping it and allowing Julie to help him out of it. Ooh, he had a little thickness to him. She could tell through his beige cotton t shirt that he had a hint of a belly. He certainly wasn’t firm and taut, anyway. Big arms, a tad muscular under a small layer of fat. She estimated him at around 200 pounds, what with his height and shoulder width. Keith met her eyes, realizing she was staring a little.  
“Er…why don’t you come on in to the table?” Julie smiled, blushing a little bit. “I know you’re drunk, I really don’t expect you to do anything, but I may as well make you something to eat now that I’ve got you here. Does that sound okay to you?”  
“Yeah, uh, are you sure?” Keith furrowed his brow. “I really don’t want to…I’m just… I’m just a drunk you picked up, you don’t have to feed me.”  
“I want to,” Julie insisted. “Besides, are you hungry?”  
Keith hesitated. “Well…a little bit.”  
“That settles that, then,” Julie smiled. “If you don’t mind though, I’m going to go get into something a little more comfortable real quick, okay?”  
He nodded quickly, and Julie made her way to her bedroom. It was nice and warm in her apartment, so she put on some black cotton shorts and her Siouxsie tank, hanging her jacket back up and tossing her jeans and top into the laundry basket.  
“Alright, sorry bout that,” Julie said as she headed back into the kitchen where Keith was sitting at the table.  
“No problem,” he nodded. “Thank you,” Keith said, a sudden tenderness in his voice. “I’m a stranger, but you’re being really kind to me, Julie. I really do appreciate it…”  
She looked over at him, meeting his eyes. He looked so…moved. She was just making a meal for him, it wasn’t…wasn’t such a big deal. Well, poor guy had just gotten rejected, any woman’s small amount of kindness probably was a big deal for him right now.  
“Think nothing of it,” Julie couldn’t help but smile a little bit. “Now, let’s get some food in your belly. Are you warm enough in here?” She asked.  
“Of course, yes,” Keith nodded.  
Julie smiled and nodded back before taking a jar of hot chocolate mix out of the cabinet and heating some milk on the stove. She mixed the ingredients together in a black mug with a little appetite stimulant, and slid it over to him. “Here, some hot chocolate. I’m gonna make you some beef stew, alright? Special recipe, should help with that inevitable hangover in the morning.” She patted his shoulder affectionately and smiled. Again, for some reason, he looked absolutely wowed by the small gesture. It was so, so sweet, but at the same time, it was making Julie a little nuts. Why was he so damn grateful for the most insignificant thing? Oh well.  
She went to work on the stew, cutting up chunks of meat, carrots, potatoes, and celery, as well as tomatoes and some daikon radishes and plopping them into broth. She spiced it as much as she thought was necessary, and put a lid on so the heat would stay trapped. She looked over, Keith was sipping quietly at the hot chocolate and staring at the table. He was sobering up a little, Julie could tell, but he was still pretty buzzed. She made her way over to the small table and sat down across from him, making a point to look over and try to see how pudgy his midsection looked while he was in a sitting position. She was pleased to find that his tummy poked out in a soft roll over his belt. Not much, but it was something. Honestly, he’d probably make a pretty damn delicious meal if she took the time to fatten him properly. He seemed pretty sweet on her already, it wouldn’t take much to encourage him to eat and gain some weight. Yeah, Julie decided, yep, she’d keep him around for a few weeks and make a hearty meal of him. That was fine, Keith was sweet, and he’d be pleasant to hang around.  
“I’m sorry, I know I said this earlier, and you probably hear this all the time, but…but you’re so pretty,” he said, shaking his head. “If I were ten years younger, I’d definitely go after you for real.”  
“Oh…” Julie couldn’t help but blush. “Oh, you’re so sweet. Thank you for saying so,” she felt a grin spread across her face. Yeah, she did get that a lot, but the sincerity in Keith’s voice made this a much different experience hearing it. It was also funny to hear that Keith thought he was too old for her. She had several centuries on him, not that he knew that fact. She realized she probably looked barely of drinking age, maybe a little bit older than that, but not out of her mid-twenties. She was rubbish at telling human ages, but if she had to guess, he was probably in his late thirties or early forties. He was handsome, but she could tell he looked a little tired and time-worn. The events of the night probably didn’t help.  
“Oh!” She’d been distracted thinking again, and quickly got up to check the boiling pot of stew. She turned the heat down quickly and stirred the contents with a big spoon. She didn’t have much broth in, so it’d be nice and thick. She poured a little cream in, scooped a little butter in, and mixed everything. The carrots and potatoes had gotten nice and tender, so she proudly scooped some into a bowl, filling it nearly to the brim.  
“Here you go,” Julie handed the bowl to him across the table, as well as some coffee she’d been brewing. “That’ll put some meat on your bones, I hope.”  
“Oh, thank you, Julie. This looks- and smells- amazing.” He scooped up a big spoonful and carefully blew on it before taking a bite and moaning softly. “Oh my god, this really is just about the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”  
“You’re such a flatterer,” Julie grinned, leaning her head into her hands.  
“Aren’t…aren’t you gonna have any?” Keith asked, looking a little concerned.  
“Ah, nah, I’m good,” Julie shook her head. “Not hungry. You eat up, though. Seriously, have as much as you want.”  
“Thank you,” Keith said softly, before digging back into the bowl. She really couldn’t help but be genuinely happy; Julie loved seeing people enjoying her cooking. In no time flat, he had the bowl emptied.  
“More?” Julie offered, reaching for the bowl.  
“Yes please,” Keith nodded a little sheepishly. She obliged, refilling the bowl and sliding it back over.  
“Don’t be ashamed, you seemed really hungry,” Julie smiled. “Like you haven’t eaten all night. Am I right?”  
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Yeah, you are right.”  
“I thought so. Just enjoy, alright? I know you’ve got a lot going on right now, I’m just trying to distract you a little in the best way I know how.”  
“Thank you,” Keith said softly, for about the billionth time. He wolfed down the second bowl, and this time, Julie automatically took and refilled it. He didn’t protest, but did start eating a little slower this time. He was probably getting full. She peeked over the table, and- yep. His belly pushed slightly more over his waistband, she could tell he was becoming a little distended. Well, she had fed him a lot so far. There wasn’t much left in the pot…she wondered briefly if she could maybe fit the rest into him. She’d feel pretty accomplished if she could stuff him on a first “date”. Granted, he was still a little drunk, that made it easier, and the appetite stimulant she’d given him seemed to be working. She could actually see him debating on the inside whether to keep eating or not; on one hand, he was still clearly hungry, but on the other, he didn’t want to come off as a glutton in front of Julie. Hunger won out, and Keith kept eating until the third bowl was empty. He adjusted in his chair, his tummy clearly looked full, and Julie couldn’t help but grin a little bit. She smiled sweetly as she took his bowl and refilled it, then handed it back to him. Keith gulped, looked at the bowl, then at his own distended belly. Julie pretended to look away, interesting herself in checking her phone. What was he doing? Oh…oh, he was undoing his belt. Julie shivered inside, unable to help a small grin. Yes, this meant she’d won. She put her phone back into her shorts pocket and smiled over at Keith, who returned the smile.  
“This is amazing, still,” he nodded briefly at the stew. “But uh…I…I’m getting really full,” his cheeks went a little red again.  
“Oh, there’s just a little left,” Julie insisted, getting up from her chair and heading over to his side of the table. She wasn’t sure how he’d take this, but, considering how much he was clearly attracted to her…well, it was a calculated risk. She climbed up onto Keith’s lap, placing her knees on either side of his hips and resting her butt on his thighs. She took the bowl in a swift movement, and with a wicked grin, took a spoonful and lifted it to his lips.  
“You said you were full, I thought maybe I could help you finish it.”  
“Oh…I, uh, okay,” he agreed, swallowing hard again, then eating the bite Julie held out for him. He clearly couldn’t believe this was happening. She scooped up more meat and potatoes, and fed him that too. Taking a second risk, she reached out and placed a hand on his belly, beginning to rub very gently. Keith flinched at her touch, but relaxed quickly. The massage probably felt great with his stuffed stomach. They sat like that for a little while, wordlessly, while she fed him the last of the stew.  
“Very good,” she murmured, putting a hand on his cheek gently as she set the empty bowl back down on the table. “Y'know, I really like a man with a healthy appetite.”  
“That…that’s good,” Keith chuckled nervously, then yawned despite himself. Julie looked over at the clock. Oh, that was why, it was nearly four. That was okay, they’d both probably sleep really well tonight.  
“You don’t have to work tomorrow, do you?” Julie asked.  
“Nah, I don’t. Shop’s closed on Sunday. I picked tonight to propose so we could either have a great day tomorrow or I could get hammered and try to forget,” he laughed bitterly.  
Julie frowned and got up off his lap, then reached out her hands to help him up. With minor struggling around his full belly, Keith managed to get up, and Julie immediately pulled him into a hug. It seemed like he really needed it, to be honest. She’d apparently been right, he stood there stiffly for a couple seconds, but then quickly wrapped his arms around Julie’s tiny frame and squeezed, pulling her up into him. “Thank you,” he murmured, pressing his lips and nose into her hair.  
“N-no problem,” Julie was a little taken aback at his desperation. They stood like that for a little longer, until Keith seemed to come to his senses.  
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, letting go of his tight grip on her.  
“It’s no problem,” Julie reached over and rubbed his back a bit, trying to be comforting. “Really. It is really late, though.”  
“It is, uh…I honestly don’t think I can make it home tonight, can I…crash on your couch or something?”  
“Not the couch, geez, that’d be terrible for your back. Come to bed with me.”  
“I…I don’t think I can do anything tonight, Julie, I’m sorry. I’m so tired and full…”  
“No! No, don’t worry about that, I already told you, I just wanted company. Come to bed, okay?”  
Keith nodded slowly, and Julie took his hand again and pulled him toward her bedroom down the dark hallway. She turned one of her lamps on, then climbed into bed, patting the bed next to her. “You might wanna take your jeans and boots off,” she chuckled, a little teasingly.  
Keith blushed again and did so, stripping off his t-shirt, jeans, and boots. Julie enjoyed the sight of his bare, stuffed belly and slight love handles softly curving over the waistband of his boxers. He carefully climbed into bed next to her, and Julie snuggled up, resting her head on his shoulder. She reached over under the covers and resumed rubbing the curve of his belly, enjoying the feeling of the warm, taut flesh.  
“Thank you,” Keith said again, whether it was for the belly rub or just for everything, she wasn’t sure.  
“It’s no problem,” Julie said softly, lifting her head and kissing him gently on the cheek.  
“You’re too good to be true,” he said, then went silent. The words hit Julie like lightning. Well…he was right, she was too good to be true. And it made her sad that she’d eventually disappoint this sweet man. Well, no she wouldn’t. He’d never know what she was really like, she could just put him to sleep before…no. She didn’t want to think about that right now, while she still had time with him. She cuddled up close again, enjoying his almost feverish warmth, and fell asleep too.


	2. I've Got Headaches and Bad Luck but they Couldn't Touch You, oh No

“Time to wake up, sleeping beauty.” Keith heard the vaguely familiar voice above him. And this wasn't his bed.  
“Uhgn,” he managed, rather than a coherent response. He opened his eyes blearily and looked up. “Good...morning.”  
“Good morning, now, do you know where you are?” Julie laughed softly.  
“You're Julie, right?” Keith responded, shutting his eyes again. The light coming through the window was too much for his pounding head.  
“I am,” she nodded. “And you're terribly hungover, aren't you?”  
“That's accurate,” he groaned, swallowing the urge to tell Julie to be a bit quieter. When he finally recovered the fortitude to open his eyes and sit up, he did so, and was greeted with the beautiful, pale girl from last night (in tiny, tiny shorts, no less), a fairly large tray of breakfast, a glass of orange juice, and some pills, presumably tylenol. “Thank you,” he said, surprised. Hadn't she cooked something for him last night too? It was almost too much. “Uh, can I...ask, why am I nearly naked?”  
“Because you took your clothes off before climbing into bed,” Julie explained. “I swear I didn't take advantage of you last night. I just brought you here and made you something to eat, and then we went to bed.”  
“Oh,” Keith nodded, rubbing his temples. “Uh...holy crap, thank you. You didn't need to do that stuff for me.”  
“I wanted to. Besides, you're a total sweetheart, I'm glad I met you,” Julie grinned, showing off a pearly smile and sharp canines. “Not hard on the eyes either, by any means. Here, though, have some tylenol and food, it'll help you feel better.”  
Keith nodded in response and, with some difficulty, picked up the pills and juice and took them. “Thank you,” he managed again, nodding slightly with his eyes closed and rubbing his stubbly jaw. After a few moments, he felt brave enough to open them. That is a lot of food, he realized. Hadn't she fed him a meal about that size last night, too? Well, he remembered, she wasn't from the U.S. Probably just came from one of those cultures that love home-cooked food, although she was such a skinny little thing that it seemed unlikely somehow. Apparently Julie had grown impatient for him to start eating.  
“Say 'ahhh',” she said with a coy smile, forking a bite of scrambled eggs and lifting them to his lips.  
“Oh, uh,” Keith felt his cheeks go red with embarrassment, but he shrugged a little and opened his mouth anyway to let her feed him the bite. He figured now she'd play it off like a joke and hand him the fork, but instead, cut and speared a bite of pancake – good lord, how much butter had she slathered on those things? – and fed that to him too.  
“This is incredible,” Keith said after swallowing. “Really awesome, Julie. Just...quite a bit here,” he chuckled nervously. “Aside from the fact that I'm clearly too old for you, I'd better not pursue you due to the fact that I'd get big as a house.”  
“I'm older than I look,” Julie said with a slight pout.  
“How um...how old are you?” Keith asked nervously, already feeling like a bit of a creep for what had transpired.  
“Twenty-four,” Julie lied.  
“Oh, that...isn't terrible,” he nodded, looking away. Still sort of bad.  
“You're not too old for me,” Julie insisted. “Besides, I haven't even officially asked you out yet.”  
“Were...were you planning to?” he asked, going red again.  
“Maybe,” Julie said, giving him a toothy, crooked grin. “Maybe I happen to think you're really cute. But the thing is, I know you...are kind of having a rough go of things, you know, we don't have to do anything official. Just hanging out casually is fine with me, I don't want to rush you into anything.”  
“I...I see,” Keith said, surprised. He rubbed his chin and took the fork up from the tray. “I'm sorry to have sprung all that sad sack stuff on you last night.”  
“Hey, I asked,” Julie shrugged, crossing her long legs and leaning back on the bed. “I'm actually a pretty good listener, you know, you can tell me stuff.”  
Keith gave her a warm smile and nodded, finally starting to relax.  
"Thank you, Julie," he said, finishing off the eggs and starting on the bacon. "You're a really sweet, considerate girl."  
"Oh, nah," she smiled a little, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm just...I don't know. My mom always said I was good with people and carving out relationships I guess."  
"I can see that. You really put me at ease, somehow."  
"Good to hear," Julie nodded, watching him eat with some interest. Keith felt a slight shiver go down his spine, then twinged with embarrassment.  
"I'm...still not wearing a shirt," he laughed anxiously, glancing down at his exposed chest and belly. She was a hot girl, he didn't need to be showing off his spare tire like this... He went to get up and grab the t-shirt from last night.  
"Oh- wait," Julie said, putting a hand on his. "What if I said I preferred you without a shirt on at the moment?" she said with a little impish smirk.  
"Uh-" Keith raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You like your guys a little flabby and out of shape?"  
"You're clearly not out of shape, you have those seriously sexy arms, but...I find your body type very hot, if that's what you're asking."  
"Ah," Keith nodded in surprise, then shrugged. "Well...alright, I suppose." _I hope I don't bloat up too much from all this food, then._ "So you're wanting to open a bakery, you said?"  
"Yep!" Julie responded brightly. "I actually already rented out the building, I'm just getting some final touches put in."  
"What're you gonna call it?" Keith asked with interest between bites of pancakes and hash browns.  
"'The Gingerbread House'," Julie replied proudly.  
"Oh, I see," Keith nodded. That sounded familiar, besides all the ones he saw around at Christmas. Wasn't that a thing in something? "Very...fairy tale. I like it," he nodded.  
"Yeah, well, Hansel and Gretel is my favorite fairy tale," she nodded and cocked an eyebrow as if amused.  
"Ah, right, right," Keith nodded. "That's what that was from. Haven't heard that story since I was a kid. Scared the hell out of me back then, I'm glad you got some enjoyment out of it." He resisted the urge to ask if she was fattening him up for dinner like the witch in the story. Doing so could probably count as insulting the chef, he thought with a hint of humor. Keith decided he'd better just shut up and enjoy the delicious, albeit large breakfast.  
“How is everything?” Julie asked, scooting a little bit closer to him on the bed.  
“So, so delicious,” Keith managed, after finishing off the last bite of the pancakes. He decided to slow down a little, he felt like he was wolfing everything down and probably coming off as a glutton. “Probably one of the best meals I've ever had.”  
“Ah, you're so sweet,” Julie gushed, reaching over and giving his arm an affectionate pinch. “The way to my heart is through praising my cooking, just uh...just in case you were interested in knowing.” She gave him a wink and a bashful smile.  
“Good to know,” Keith managed to smile back. Why shouldn't he go for it? Julie had heard his sad, stupid story and clearly still didn't think he was pathetic. She was downright gorgeous, she was a great cook, she was so kind and generous. There was no reason not to like her, aside from the fact that he definitely didn't want to use someone as a rebound. But perhaps it could be something beyond that, who knew. Keith tried to promise himself that he wouldn't ever lead this girl on, or just use her to get over Karen.


End file.
